Slut Mouth - Amateur Hour Album

Following Bug Incision’s summer ’09 release from Hamilton’s Fossils comes a related duo called Slut Mouth. To start off the introductory SM and BI release comes an almost light-hearted and playful number that doesn’t lack foreboding characteristics. It doesn’t take long before this album descends into a more minimal, dark and chaotic apocalypse that starts with predominantly pure recorded sounds from percussive instruments – cymbals, drums, maybe some pots or pans. The sounds are vaguely recognizable and placed cacophonously amongst clatters and unyielding strikes upon the aforementioned sorts of sound-making tools.

Before too long a gentle buzz creeps in. Amplified objects play a key role in a number of the tracks. It’s scary the sounds that come out. At times repetitive and trance-like patterns are born from the hospitalized amps and this percussive-soup while unstructured raucous comes crying out at other moments. The result is a re-writing of what one may consider rock. These jangly guitars only slightly resembling the noise-rock era and the teasingly in-time percussion erasing thoughts of head-bopping leftist psychedelia.

While each track offers a gem worth listening to it’s not until around track 10 that things get really intense. A heavy cavalcade of whirrs and pure static anger builds up from almost nothing. It’s a climax to the album that just ends with absolutely no denouement. The next and final track returns with cheeky minimalism and a steady hiss of white noise pervading the silence.

Altogether it’s astounding to consider that these 13 tracks totalling a 30-minute collection of sound came from an hour-long session. Each track shows its own uniqueness and distinct characteristics. Nothing is dwelled over too long although some tracks do seem to cut abruptly short leaving proceedings to the imagination or the cutting room floor. (feedbackzine.ca)